BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix

BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Preview

21st – 23rd August 2009
11th of 17 World Championship races


Preview.

Munich/Hinwil, 14th August 2009. Following the announcement by BMW that it will be pulling out of Formula One at the end of the season, the members of the BMW Sauber F1 Team now have an extra source of motivation; performing as well as possible will promote their case for a future in the sport.


Robert Kubica:
“I really enjoyed the Valencia circuit a lot. I like the character of stop-and-go tracks. In Valencia you have a lot of long straights followed by narrow corners and long straights again. That means a lot of heavy braking. It was very hot there last year as the track is between concrete walls and there is not a lot of air. These conditions are very tough for the car’s cooling. Last year I performed quite well in Valencia.”


Nick Heidfeld:
“Valencia is a street circuit, but it doesn’t drive like one. In fact it’s just like one of the modern race tracks. You’re not right up against the buildings, there isn’t the tightness you usually get at street circuits, but there are run-off areas. I’m excited to find out what effect the latest modifications will have on our car. Valencia is a great city, of course, and I’m looking forward to going back to a fine restaurant which I discovered on my last visit.”


Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“Clearly we’re all disappointed about the decision to withdraw from Formula One. The team had established itself at the top in just three years and we would love to have shown that the poor results we’ve had this season were just a blip. Now our work is focusing on the next few months. While efforts are continuing behind the scenes to find a solution for the team, everybody is aware that putting in good performances at the circuits is the best way to advertise their abilities. We want to get back into the fast lane, and so the development packages for Valencia and Singapore will be put into practice as planned.”


Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering:
“The race in Valencia was a new addition to the calendar last year and represents a real gain for Formula One. The track, which is built into the port area of the city and has 25 corners, boasts a unique character all of its own. It is a street circuit, but cannot really be compared with Monaco, for example. Indeed, it is wider and allows a much higher average speed. Plus, there are generous run-off areas at practically all the potential trouble spots around the track, which guarantees a high level of safety. Despite the two-week summer break, during which the factory in Hinwil was closed, we will bring a development package to Valencia headed by numerous aerodynamic parts.”


History and background:
The Valencia street circuit made its debut on the Formula One calendar in 2008. Although Valencia already had a permanent race track – the Circuito Ricardo Tormo – it was decided that, rather than upgrading it, a course running through the city and along the harbour would provide the venue for the race. Despite being a street circuit, it has little in common with the picturesque surroundings of Monaco. Instead, it is characterised by modern buildings and relatively wide roads with reasonably generous run-off areas. The cars reach speeds of over 300 km/h and pass across a bridge that links the North and South Marina. The team garages are set up in port buildings for the race weekend.

Valencia has long cast off its former image of an industrial port city and has emerged as one of Europe’s cultural metropolises. The marina in Valencia – Spain’s third-largest city, with a population of around 850,000 – has been transformed into a trendy, modern complex on the back of the America’s Cup held there in 2007.

BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Qualifying

Weather: sunny and dry, 26-30°C Air, 36-47°C Track

Valencia (ES). With Robert Kubica making it into the top ten and Nick Heidfeld only just missing the final qualifying session by fractions of tenths of a second to be 11th, the BMW Sauber F1 Team was quite satisfied in Valencia.


Robert Kubica:
BMW Sauber F1.09-08 / BMW P86/9
Qualifying 10th, 1:40.512 min (3rd Free Practice: 3rd, 1:39.513 min)
“If lately you have been starting from the rear of the grid, you cannot be disappointed with tenth in qualifying. We have to be realistic. I think today overall was a good day. Unfortunately I had some traffic on my final run and I made a small mistake. This cost me a few tenths. Scoring points will be difficult tomorrow.”


Nick Heidfeld:
BMW Sauber F1.09-07 / BMW P86/9
Qualifying 11th, 1:38.826 min in Q2 (3rd Free Practice: 13th, 1:40.230 min)
“It is the sixth time this year I have just missed the top ten qualifying and come 11th by fractions of tenths of a second. Of course I’m a little bit disappointed, but on the other side it means we have freedom regarding the fuel we carry and I hope for a good race. Everybody in the team is determined to put in a good performance and show what they can do for the future. Our car is generally somewhat better and I think from P11 points are possible.”


Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
“We are satisfied with the qualifying result. Compared to recent races it was a step forward into the midfield, and this is what we had expected from our development package. With Robert we have got one car into the top ten and Nick in 11th is just behind. Q3 didn’t go ideally for Robert, otherwise he could have finished even higher up. Congratulations to McLaren-Mercedes for having both cars on the front row. This proves how quickly things can change.”


Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering):
“Our goal was to get at least one car into the top ten. With Robert we did so. However we expected to be in a better position. Nick missed Q3 only by the blink of an eye. Overall we took a step in the right direction with the aero update. Technically we had a qualifying without any problems.”

BMW Sauber F1 Team - European Grand Prix - Race

Weather: dry and sunny, 31-32°C Air, 46-47°C Track

Valencia (ES). One championship point ended a three race dry spell for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Robert Kubica came eighth at the European Grand Prix in Valencia and scored the first point since the Turkish Grand Prix. His team mate Nick Heidfeld made a good start but then got stuck in traffic. He finished 11th which was also his grid position.


Robert Kubica: 8th
BMW Sauber F1.09-08 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap 1:39.374 min on lap 55 (8th fastest overall)
“I had to start the race from a very bad position as I was in the middle of the pack and we were all very close together in the first corners. Unfortunately I was not able to make up positions at the start, and I even lost a place to Nick. But then during the race my pace was good. Although my stints were shorter, I was even able to overtake Mark Webber during his final pit stop, which was very good.”


Nick Heidfeld: 11th
BMW Sauber F1.09-07 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap 1:39.704 min on lap 53 (13th fastest overall)
“For me the result is rather disappointing because it doesn’t reflect what I was able to achieve today. After a good start I was able to match the pace of the guys in front of me, but I let Robert by because he was on a lower fuel load. Then I had to defend my position against Adrian Sutil and lost contact with the front group. This turned out to be crucial, because after his pit stop Heikki Kovalainen came out in front of me and I could not take any advantage from my car being lighter at this stage.”


Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
“Despite being in a very difficult situation with BMW pulling out of the sport, the team really did a very good job all weekend. Starting tenth and 11th on the grid was already a big improvement compared to the previous races. In the race Robert was able to move up to eighth and score a point. Actually Nick had the better chances to make his way up to the front from 11th on the grid because of the strategy he was able to choose. But he got stuck in traffic and therefore couldn´t demonstrate what he was capable of. The result gives us a boost for the next races and the development packages planned up to the end of the season.”


Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering):
“Our goal was to get at least one point in Valencia. We achieved that. Compliments to the whole team for the effort. The new aero package is clearly progress. We did not have any problems during the race. Unfortunately Nick and, also during some periods, Robert got stuck in traffic and therefore lost valuable time. Our race pace without traffic was as expected."